City comparison
Kiryas Joel, NY vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Kiryas Joel, NY (109.4) and San Jose, CA (110.4, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Kiryas Joel, NY goes as far as $100,900 in San Jose, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,549 in Kiryas Joel, NY. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 25% in Kiryas Joel, NY.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $4,860 a year in NY and $5,070 in CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.1% moving from Kiryas Joel, NY to San Jose, CA ($125,431 → $133,060), while prices change by +0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +5.1% in real buying power.
- Kiryas Joel, NY: price level 109.4 (much pricier)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kiryas Joel, NY | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 109.4 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,915 in San Jose | $99,093 in Kiryas Joel |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,549/mo | $2,982/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,990 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY MSA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kiryas Joel | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 115.8 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 136.8 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 106.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 109.4 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kiryas Joel, NY → San Jose, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$211/yr.
31 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Kiryas Joel, NY
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$211/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kiryas Joel, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kiryas Joel, NY to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kiryas Joel, NY | San Jose, CA | Real change, Kiryas Joel → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $77,161 | +5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $93,358 | +5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $111,896 | +5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $133,060 | +5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $157,236 | +5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kiryas Joel, NY | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Kiryas Joel dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $81,770 | $102,860 | $101,928 (+24.7%) |
| Software Developers | $145,830 | $213,110 | $211,178 (+44.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,900 | $121,700 | $120,597 (+35.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $102,890 | $216,740 | $214,775 (+108.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.